Assignment: What happened to the founding fathers?

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? To find out, go to read about what’s fact and fiction at: http://www.snopes.com/history/american/pricepaid.asp. After you read over the information do a learning log here: Your learning log must cover the three areas: What you learned, Found Interesting, and 5 questions that came to mind as you were reading the information. This posting must be done by Sunday, 12:00 midnight. Make sure you put your name & period so I can give you credit.

Advertisements

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

Post navigation

81 thoughts on “Assignment: What happened to the founding fathers?”

WHAT: The members who signed the Declaration of Independence, where told to us that they died in very dramatic and sad ways. That their was a cover up to just make a better story. While in reality, the differences was huge, they lived their lives like nothing what they told us

INTERESTING: How people use cover up stories to make up for better ones. They do that only to spark emotions in our hearts. But its history, not a novel.

5 QUESTIONS: Why did they use cover-up stories? Who actually was killed as described dramatically? What political difference was between John Adams & Thomas Jefferson? Why did Americans loot the signers of the Declaration of Independence? What was going through the minds of the 56 persons that signed?

What: What I learned about the 56 men who signed the Declaration Independence was that the reason they paid a painful price in life wasn’t because they signed the declaration, it was because as they lived they committed criminal acts.So what I also learned was that they didn’t really cared about and didn’t respect the declaration.
Interesting: What I found interesting was that 5 signers were tortured to death.

Questions:When was the signers captured by the British and tortured?What kind of men were they?Why did some signers decided to go to war?Did they have other duties?Did they end up in jail?Did any of them have families?

What I learned and what I found interesting from reading this article is that most of the men who signed the declaration of independence ended up dying alone, poor, or both! If they had lost their properties they should have been compensated after the war and everything was settled. Also that the men who signed were so poorly protected even though some of them work as congressmen or people who could have brought change to the war.

5 questions that I have are
1. Why were the men who lost their homes and their fortunes compensated for these loses?
2. Did General Washington and the people who signed the Declaration expect everyone to just be safe?
3. Did any of them try to side with the British after they signed?
4. If they did leak information and side with the British were they killed afterwards?
5. How many of them actually kept their homes, families, and their fortunes?

What I learned: There is much falsification in the records explaining the lives and deaths of the founding fathers. Out of the five members who were captured by the British, only one can be proven to have been captured for his signing the Declaration of Independence; the rest were captured for war crimes but were not killed. Only one signer died of wounds, Button Gwinnett, and it was from a duel. McKean was tracked because of his own military background and dealings but not because he was as signer of the declaration, and he did not die in poverty because he was described as possessing stocks, bonds, etc. The Declarations of Independence did not trigger the Revolutionary War. It had begun a year before with incidents such as the battles of Lexington and Concord. The Nelson home was not destroyed and still stands today despite how real or unreal the legends are of the events unfolded. Overall, I learned certain claims can have some truth but be significantly misleading.

What I found interesting: It is hard to determine what events really occurred and which did not because we were personally not present to confirm it. We only have records being compared. With warfare, the homes of many were destroyed or occupied. Braxton lost his fortune by his own accord; he was not very good with his finances. During war, even the Americans took advantage of homes and supplies of others. John Hart’s story was greatly exaggerated and adapted to having a dramatic novel’s plot. I found it particularly interesting how similar the adaptations were in certain aspects to the facts. The truth was simply twisted to seem more interesting making the signers of the Declarations of Independence seem more tragically affected by it.

Questions:
1. For what purpose would people fabricate these intricate stories about the signers of the Declaration of Independence when their act of signing it alone makes them great heroes to the nation?
2. Did the signers themselves believe they were personally being tracked down to a point where their lives went on a downfall after the signing?
3. How likely is it for the fabricated events to could have actually occurred?
4. If given the choice again, would the signers still agree to sign and take part of the singing of the Declaration of Independence?
5. Would an action as signing the Declaration of Independence be considered to be fighting “against the British empire”?

Learned:
What I learned from reading the article on the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence was that numerous of risks were took in order for it to work. These mean paid a huge price so America could obtain the freedom it deserved. Not only did the men put their selves in danger by signing the Declaration, they also put their family and friends in danger. Numerous of lives were lost only because 56 men agreed a country should have freedom and independence. Many people were betrayed, killed, tortured and left poor because of the Declaration of Independence. After the signing, no man was safe considering the British believed agreeing with the Declaration was wrong. Even though lives were lost, everyone involved would be proud knowing their country is now free and continuing as a great nation.

Interesting:
What I found interesting was that the men were so faithful to the country, they put everything in risk. It must have toke a lot of courage to do so. I also find it fascinating that any simple man signed it. The men were either farmers, Congress men, or traders. Anyone who agreed could have signed the important document. It is also interesting that many of the men involved suffered similar and horrible fates.

Questions:
Would the men still have signed the Declaration of Independence even if they knew what was to occur to their lives?
Did any of the 56 men end up with a good life?
Did George Washington think neither of the men would suffer because of the signing?
How many lives of women and children were lost due to the signers of the Declaration Of Independence?

What I learned: Due to our need to dramatize every single event in order to create an emotional reaction and/or connection with the audience, a vast majority of the occurrences of the original fifty-six signers’ lives were distorted. For instance, the article’s example bluntly states five signers were tormented and imprisoned by the British, and inconspicuously implicates they died at their hands. In actuality, four of the signers were prisoners of war and suffered the same fate as other hostages. However, Richard Stockton, a signer, who was taken by the Tories, a British political party, due to his affiliation with the Declaration of Independence, was the only case of the five proven. Additionally, the common misconception that nine signers participated and died of wounds during the Revolutionary War is false since only one, Button Gwinnett, died of lesions caused by a duel. The article argues an abundance of the signers died in poverty, but McKean had ownership of stocks, bonds, and lands while Carter Braxton’s wealth fluctuated due to his debt and poor investments. Perhaps, the most astounding fact was how people assume the Revolutionary War commenced due to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Prior to the signing, many events were taking place such as the Stamp Act of 1765, the Boston Massacre in 1770, the Intolerable Acts of 1774, the battles at Lexington and Concord in 1775, and the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 17, 1775. The article taught me to be open-minded and take into consideration all the possibilities before believing one source.

What was interesting: Personally, I found the fact people exaggerate the truth interesting because it’s strange how they choose to remain uninformed about the actual events. Also, even though we have written records of the history of the United States, how can we confirm they are true? We can’t, we can only hope the textbooks are factual and unbiased. In addition, I think it was extremely courageous for the fifty-six signers to stand up for what they believed was the best for America, being fully aware of how risky it was to sign their names on the paper basically declaring war on Britain. People will always try to blow a situation out of portion, the way we process and react to it, is what will make the difference.

Questions:
1. Why did most people believe Thomas Jefferson over John Adams? What was their argument about?
2. If the British had acted differently towards the American colonies, would they have fought for their independence?
3. Did the signing of the Declaration of Independence cause a political turmoil in Britain?
4. How did the British, the citizens, react towards the actions and acts their monarchy was imposing on the thirteen colonies?
5. Instead of knowing what actually occurred, why would people feel the need to fabricate stories?

What I learned and found Interesting: i learned that many of our founding fathers were killed or died poor. They were not compensated by the people of the colonies for their bravery, but instead were treated the same as if they had done nothing for everyone else. Many were not even surrounded by body guards even though they knew what they had done witch made it easier for the British to get to some of them and arrest them. In the end i believe if they had not done what they did many people would not have had the courage to go out and fight for their lives. We can only hope this is true and not some fake article to cover up what really happened to the 56 men who signed the declaration of independence.

Questios:
1. Why do people find the need to change stories like this one?
2. Why did Britain decide to tax the 13 colonies?
3. if they had asked for the colonies opinions would things have gone differently?
4. Did many of the signers let the stress of the signing get to their head which caused their downfall?
5. Why where others not affected as much?

Learned: i learned that twelve of the signers had their homes ransacked and burned. i also learned that thomes mckean’s reward in all this was poverty. also that 9 of the 56 signers died in the revolutionary war. twenty four of the signers were lawyers and jurists. eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners. also that john hart died of exhaustion and a broken heart.

interesting: that five of the fifty six signers were captured by the british as traitors and tortured before they died. also i found interesting that carter braxton died in rags. also that all fifty six signers knew that when they signed that declaration of independence that if they were captured they would be killed. what was also interesting was that thomas nelson, jr. urged general george washington to open fire on his own house because the british general cornwallis had taken it over for his headquarters.

five questions:
1. how were the five traitors tortured and killed?
2. how did the five traitors get captured?
3. why did carter braxton not regain his wealth?
4. why did thomas mckean serve in congress without pay?
5. why did francis lewis’s wife die within a few months of her capture?

Learned: what i learned out of this website’s factual statements and prove, are the real facts on the men that sacerficed their life to keep a free America now. Simply they tried to keep and sign a new freedom upon on America, with a innovated government just for the U.S. These men were killed,persecuted and out of everything they put action towards, their reward was unpleasant. Their families were even affected by it and they even fought for us,indicating they risked their lives once more for a better America. Liberty was the truth they believed in and they signed, pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Because back then it was not our parents or our superior authorities fighting, today we can say we don’t take for granted what these honorable men dedicated to do for us.

intresting: what i found intresting was i learned out of what i read because i did not no much about these men. i really paid close attention to each fact and realized that the top twenty-four men were lawyers and jurists, they had some well known education for starters.Six men were also the only ones caught by the British.

5 questions:
1.What went through the minds of these men that signed the Declaration of independence?
2. why was john driven away from his wife that was dying?
3. do u agree carter had the weirdest death out of all men?
4. Did the men ever predict such a tragic would occurr to each of them?
5. How do you think the men that weren’t captured felt about those who were?

What I learned:
5 men who signed the declaration were captured and tortured by the British.
12 had their houses burnt down.
They were all determined and wholeheartedly invested in the cause.
The only ones that ended up well off were the former presidents.
A lot of the fighters fought in the revolutionary war

Found Interesting:
The british punished the signers drastically.
Some men met very horrible fates.
They had such diverse backgrounds.
Many people don’t know that these things happened.
The families of these men were mistreated as well.

Questions:
Was it legal for these men to be captured and tortured by the british?
Why are people more inclined to believe the fabricated stories?
Did any of them come out without being tortured?
Why weren’t all the signers treated the same?
Did the American government do anything to avenge its signers?

What I Learned:
5 people who signed the declaration were captured and tortured
12 people who signed had their houses burned down
9 of the signers fought in war and died of wounds
24 of the signers were lawyers and jurists
11 of the signers were merchants
9 were farmers and plantation owners

What I Found Interesting:
They knew it would be an act of treason against the British when they signed the declaration.
They were all just normal men and they did something amazing.
They were willing to give up everything just for freedom.
The British actually found most of the people who signed it with just their name.
The British captured the familys of the signers too

Questions:
How did the British find the people who signed the declaration?
Was that the only reason the British had to torture the people who signed?
Did people know that they were punished?
Why did they sign if they knew it was treason?
How did they all know to get together and sign it?

What i learned: I learned that nine out of the fifty-six men who signed the declaration of independence fought and died from either being wounded from fighting, or just the hardships from the war. Twelve of them had their houses burnt down just because they signed it. I also learned that the British pretty much just took over any house that they wanted, they had the right to.
What i found interesting: I thought it was interesting that only twenty-four of those who signed were lawyers and jurists, the rest were just simply merchants and farmers who felt that they needed freedom from England, or Great Britain at the time. They believed so strongly in the freedom that they felt they deserved, that they signed it knowing that if they got caught, they could be thrown in jail or even killed for treason. They weren’t free from the British yet.
5 Questions:
How did the British manage to get a hold on the Declaration of Independence? Could some of the men who signed have been spy’s?
Did the British have an idea who signed the Declaration from the beginning?
Where did the Rebels hide the Declaration?
How long was it before the British had an idea that it even existed?

Learned: After reading this article I learned 5 of the signers were captured by the British, tortured and were later killed
– After signing they pledged their lives and everything they owned
– 9 of 56 signers fought in the Revolution and died

Interesting:
– 12 of 56 had their homes broken into and burned
– Thomas McKean was a delegate to the Continental Congress; later he served as a president
– 24 of 56 were lawyers and jurists

Questions:
1. Would we still have the same information about the signers if most of them were alive today?
2. Why were so many people willing to hurt the 56 signers?
3. Who chose the men to sign the Declaration of Independence?
4. What if a woman were to sign the Declaration of Independence?
5. What if the Declaration of Independence was not written? How would life be different today?

What I learned:
Through this article, I learned that all 56 of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence had have an over-dramatized death instead of the truth. In truth they were killed, died poor, or had died uneventfully. For example, “…A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.” However in reality, he died due to kidney stones.

What I found interesting:
It’s interesting what the media would do just to get attention. Since they exaggerated that the founding fathers all died as heroes but in reality they didn’t, how are we to know that all history is just a myth? However, it might have been that the reason for the exaggeration was to inspire the public to take a stand for their beliefs.

Questions:
How long did it take for the public to figure out what had actually happened?
What was the need for these over-dramatized deaths?
Did the signers know what they were getting themselves into?
How did the image of Britain change after the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
What must have gone through the leaders of Britain when they lost to the Americans?

What I learned: People internationally, from the Americas to the Middle East, intentionally tend to misrepresent the reality of history – what actually transpired, by plugging in their prejudiced beliefs of what they presume to happen. The article “The Price They Paid” directly pertains to the major fallacies people create by claiming certain events transpired to the fifty-six signatories of the Declaration of Independence. The article frankly states five signers of the Declaration of Independence were seized by the British apostates and tortured before their death. There is no evidence of the perishing, but four signatories were confined in imprisonment due to their involvement in the Declaration of Independence. Richard Stockton was the only signer proven to be imprisoned because of his status as a signatory. Of the nine claimed to have perished from “wounds or hardships,” only one, Button Gwinnett, was confirmed dead from wounds, which he received when he engaged in combat with a British officer. There are also various misconceptions of the bombardment of Thomas Nelson’s home. For example, one version of the story was Nelson encouraged George Washington to open fire in his house because General Cornwallis captured it and utilized it as his headquarters.

Interesting: Several stories stated in this article appeal to my interest. To start off, I believe it is utterly overwhelming how people can simply assume things that did not really transpire in history. It is imperative we carefully scrutinize the events that have transpired and not falsify the truths of this world. Carter Braxton’s failure of controlling his wealth caught my interest because of his own ill-advised business dealings, and the article states he also “died in rags,” which we know is not true. Thomas McKeam’s account of his “wild pursue from the British” was interesting as well. It astonished me how many times Thomas and his family had to flee and abandon their many homes to escape the British forces. What also triggered my interest was people believed the signing of the Declaration of Independence symbolized the initiation of the Revolutionary War. The war commenced a year before the document was signed; several events transpired before, such as the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the capture of Montreal.
We shall never forget not only the bravery of the fifty-six men who countered their government and signed the Declaration of Independence, but of the many men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives to buttress the revolutionary cause. Because of these figures in history, we now embrace the life of autonomy, liberty, and justice for all.

Five Questions:
1). What events followed for the British after the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
2). What encouraged the fifty-six signatories to repudiate their government and sign the Declaration of Independence?
3). Why did people believe that the signing of the Declaration of Independence triggered the Revolutionary War?
4). After his unsuccessful investments, what was Carter Braxton’s end result as a wealthy planter and trader?
5). If the American Revolution were to have never transpired, where would we all be now? Would we be scattered all around the globe?

Learned:
I learned that these 56 men risked their life and their families life in order to gain freedom in the united states. They signed for the declaration of independence and because of that they were robbed, tortured and killed. the men who lived to the actual war fought in it and were still killed. They were well educated, good hearted men. the statistics show that five men were captured by british and tortured till they died, 12 of their homes were robbed and burned, and nine fought in the actual war. Some of the mens families were affected by the signing. Wives were captured and killed and children ran for their lives and had to live the rst of their life hiding from the british.
What i found intresting:
I found it intresting that these 56 men were well educated and normal men. They had normal jobs and lived like anyone else in the thirteen colonies. They signed the declaration of independence for their fellow citizens knowing they were putting their life and families lives in danger. Some of them were so dedicated to the idea of freedom that they even fought in the actual war. I find it very intresting that these men had such a passion for their soon to be country .
Questions:
how did their families feel about them signing the declaration of independence?
How did the britsh feel when they knew they had lost their americans?
Did the people of america try and protect the 56 men?
How did the sign the declaration of independence without getting caught?
were all the families affected of those who signed it?

Learned: I learned that there were 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence. The men that signed it knew that they were risking their lives at the act of signing the Declaration. Five men were tortured by the British before they died, twelve got their homes burned, four men had sons captured and killed, and nine fought in the Revolutionary War and died. Twenty four of them were lawyers and jurists, eleven were merchants, and nine were farmers.

Interesting: What I found interesting was that these men knew that by signing the Declaration of Independence they were setting their lives in danger. So other people were against this signing being done and were willing to kill those who were with the act. I found it interesting how they explained how a number of these men died, or what happened to their loved ones, or to their homes.

Five Questions: 1. Why, when wanting to do a good act, is there always someone who has to kill those who do what is right?
2. How did these people from different careers and jobs come together as the 56 men who signed the Declaration?
3. Why were there 56 men that signed, why 56?
4. Why did they have to pay a price with their lives?
5. Did these men sign the Declaration of Independence in private and hiding, or in public and being proud even though they knew they were gonna suffer?

What I learned from this article was that five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured. Twelve of them had their homes luted and destroied. Also two of the signatures lost their sons to the war as well as another signature had two of his sons captured. Nine out of the 56 also died from either wounds or hardships afflicted from the war. These men all pledged thier honor and signed their wealth away for our country.

What I found interesting about this article is that if you continued to read it you would find out that most of the above information was false. And if it was not completely false then it was twisted around to make it more compelling or make the Founding Fathers seem more hero like.

Questions
1. Why did the author of the original artical falsify the truth?
2. Did he/ she use any reputable sources in the first place for this information?
3. How was the acurate information of the second part of the article attained?
4. Did the founding fathers fight in battle like most of the American citizens did?
5. How many of the founding fathers truly believed in the Declaration of Independence, or just thought it would make their more profitable.

What I learned through this article is that we were taught the dramatized version of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. They exaggerated their deaths and lives to make it seem more interesting. Their names were even spelled differently. One example in the article is this, “Nine signers died during the course of the Revolutionary War, but none of them died from wounds or hardships inflicted on them by the British.”

What I found interesting is how people can use these kind of stories just to get attention. They lie about how things happened, instead of teaching us how things really turned out to be. I also found interesting how the death of John Hart was dramatic fiction, stating that he had died “from exhaustion and a broken heart”, when he actually died of kidney stones.

Questions:
1. What made the public open their eyes and realize the truth about the 56 men who signed the Declaration of independence?
2. Why were Thomas Heyward Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge not tortured or treated more harshly than other wartime prisoners who were not also signatories?
3. What happened to those twelve men whose homes were subjected to seizure?
4. Why were the names of these men misspelled or not really accurate?
5.The Declaration of Independence is celebrated every 4th of July. Do people actually take their time to remember those who sacrificed and risked their lives to give Americans our liberty?

Learned: I expected the people who signed the declaration of Independence, be more privaliged the the normal civilan. As I read the article It came in great shock to realize the complete opposite from my train of thought. Feeling much respect towards them for the horrors and everything they’ve been through. They signed there and they pledge their lifes, their fortunes, and thier sacred honor. When I read about who were these men i expected them to be royalty but they were men with a diploma and great commen, makes me think that it could of been people from this era that would of made it 10’s better or modernizing it.

what I found Interesting: I found it interesting in the part ware it starts to talk about how our founding fathers gave you and me a free and independant america, and how it explains that the history books never really told us about what really went on in the revolutionary war and how we didnt just fight the british but our government aswell.

Questions:
1. why exactly were 5 signers from the declaration of independance captured and tourtured? and how were they punished?
2. why would Thomas McKean serve the congress without pay?
3. what happend to John harts children? ware did they flee 2?
4. who was Joseph Martin?
5. why is the declaration of independance celebrated on 4th of july?

What I learned: I learned that fifty-six men signed the Declaration Of Independence. Jhon Hart lived in the forest in caves for a while. Most of the information about these men is un accurate or false. These men took in alot and faced many risks in order for us to obtain our freedom.

What I found interesting: The fifty-six men signed the Declaration Of Independence knowing that if the were found they would be captured and killed. John Hart had thirteen children. They all “fled for their lives” before he even came home. It is said that John passed away due to a broken heart and exhaustion, although this was never true. This article stated that “freedom is never free” which I found very interesting.

Questions:
1.) How come many people do not know about these fifty-six men and bring them into consideration on the fourth of July ?
2.) What was the purpose for having all fifty-six men dead ?
3.) How was it that these fifty-six men were all chosen to come together to sign the Declaration Of Independence?
4.) In what ways does the declaration Of Independece impact us today ?
5.) If these fifty-six men knew they would be killed after signing, why did they agree to do it ?

What I learned: Evidently you can’t always believe everything you hear or read. But these articles give you an idea of how misleading or bias even the most trustworthy facts can be. For example, the fact that some of the signers had their homes ransacked and burned, although it is a true fact, just that statement alone makes you believe the reason they had their properties destroyed was due to their participation in the Declaration of Independence when in fact it was very common to have your house destroyed like that during wartime. Little statements as those can cause the effect of over proportioning real true events. Also, just reading these opposing articles makes you want to question all the sources you have read. Were they bias ? Was it truthful ? Were they exaggerating? You can only hope that what you read gives you the whole story and full information without misleading statements. In another note I have learned that those 56 men had a mass amount f courage for standing up for what they believed in, while knowing the dangers of it. These courageous men had the will to oppose the British with this paper but they didn’t do it alone. No one can take the bravery they had to signing the document but we must not just honor the men who signed the Declaration of Independence but also the men and women who fought for these rights as well.

Interesting: All together what I read I found very intriguing due to my own ignorance of not wondering what had happened to these men. I didn’t realize that they were putting their own lives on the line for the Declaration of Independence. When reading the history book never did I realize the dangers of rebelling against such powerful forces by writing this document. These articles made it real for me and they made me understand more of these men and how much they actually sacrificed. On the other hand, it really interested me knowing how many sources and facts can be so misleading. How could we know the real truth without questioning it?

Questions:
1.Were the families supportive of the men while writing the Declaration of Independence ?
2.If the signers knew of their fate in advance after signing the Declaration of Independence would they still go through with it ?
3.Is anything we read real truthful evidence and facts ?
4.How do we know that what we are taught and what we read and or hear is the real truth and not just something blown out of proportion?
5.If the forefathers were here to this day would they be proud of how America has evolved or be disappointed to see that many take advantage of their freedom ?

Learned:
All 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence were wealthy men, most of them lawyers, and the other half merchants or farmers who owned large plantations. The 56 men had courage because they pledged their lives and fortunes. They were in danger and their families also took part of being in danger.

Found Interesting:
If you keep on reading down past the article, you will see correction done. The correction made me think whether or not the facts stated by the author are correct. The article had misspellings of some of the 56 men names. I believe if a person wants to educate people of the Declaration of Independence they should have their facts correct and know how to spell the names of the important people who made it possible for America to gain freedom.

Questions:
1. Would it make a difference if only ten men had signed the Declaration of Independence?
2. Why is it when someone is trying to do the right things for the people, they have to get hurt or killed?
3. Did all 56 men lost their fortunes and homes?
4. Why did the people go against the 56 men families?
– The families did not sign the Declaration of Independence.
5. Should we do something better then, just fireworks to celebrate and honor the 56 men?

What I learned: Most people believe the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence lived a horrible life afterwards due to the British. Although in reality, it was not nearly as bad as it was perceived.
What I found interesting: That the media would manipulate the story of our founding fathers so much just for attention. It’s almost unpatriotic to lie about what happened to our founding fathers after signing the Declaration of Independence.
Questions:1. What good did people get from changing the story of what happened?
2. How long did it take for people to discover the truth of what really happened?
3. In the fake story, it said John Hart’s death is partially due to a broken heart. Is that even possible?
4. Even though it is overly dramatized, some of the events are true. Do people really take the time to appreciate our founding fathers on the 4th of July?
5.Would our founding fathers be proud of America today?

What I learned:
-9 of 56 signers fought in the Revolution and died
-there were 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence
-11 of the signers were merchants
-24 of the signers were lawyers and jurists
-9 were farmers and plantation owners
-5 people who signed the declaration were captured and tortured by the British and then later killed

What I found interesting:
-The signers knew it would be an act of treason against the British when they signed the declaration
-12 of 56 signers had their homes broken into and burned down
-The British actually found most of the people who signed it with just their name

Questions:
-Was signing the only reason the British had to torture the people who signed the Declaration?
-Was it legal for these men to be captured and tortured by the British?
-How did the British find the people who signed the declaration?
-How did they sign the Declaration of Independence without getting caught?
-Did the American government do anything to avenge its signers?

Learned:
Although it is off topic, I learned to more carefully analyze “facts” such as the ones presented in this argument seeing how they can be so easily manipulated. More on topic, I learned that although the signers did go through some hardships, most of which were not as bad as were initially made out to be; but that doesn’t mean that these hardships weren’t present. Some actually statistics I learned included the fact that 5 of these 56 declaration signers were actually captured by the British. And also, throughout the time frame of the Revolutionary War, nine of these signers passed away, but they weren’t killed as a result of the violence of this war.

Interesting:
I found it interesting that for one, facts can be so easily manipulated, such as in this example. But on the topic of the 56 signers, I hadn’t actually realized all of the hardships they were forced to go through, it actually surprised me that just for doing what they did, they were punished so heavily. I also found it interesting how much some of these stories had been twisted to make them appealing.

5 Questions:
• Why had the signers gone through such hardships?
• Why had “facts” been so misconstrued in the original paper?
• Why had Britain captured 5 of these signers?
• Who was the second signer who’s son was killed while serving in the army?
• How had the 9 of 56 signers who died, die?

*What I learned:
Among the men who signed the declaration of independence , there were lawyers, jurists, farmers, plantation owners, mostly wealthy men . Many of us don’t realize the consequences that came with “treason” back during the American Revolution . These 56 men lost their children in battle, wives by death, lost thier plantations, were tortured until death. Some fled, their children vanished, ships were captured, pushed into poverty , their lives were destroyed completly .One of the men with their family were forced to move around constantly and serve congress without pay,resulting in poverty. These men lost everything they had in their possession including their families , they suffered the consequences for the rights we have as americans today.
*What I found interesting:
I found it interesting to read about John Hart , the man who was forced to leave the bedside of his dying wife, only to hide out in forests and caves for about a year and comeback to find his wife dead children vanished.John Hart eventually died of exaustion and a broken heart. I find these mens stories to be incredably interesting and sad considering the fact that i thought they would have lived a rich life for giving me and others our rights and liberties.
*Questions:
1. Did any of the men ever get retaliation for what occured to them?
2. Why didnt any of the men fight against what was happening to them instead of run and hide?
3. Were there any men inprisoned for life as opposed to tortured to death?
4. Why did one of the men work without pay?
5. How long did it take for all the signers to recieve “punishment”??

LEARNED: I learned that not all facts are indeed; facts. They can be twisted into other statements, and manipulated by whoever is presenting them. I also learned that the individuals who signed The Declaration Of Independence were not as priveledged as I thought they would be. Most of them went through an immense amount of hardships, and some had even been captured by the British. They risked everything they had: their families, homes, and jobs; all for their freedon.
INTERESTING: I was really interested in the 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence. Before reading the articles, I had never been informed of what types of hardships they went through, to gain their freedom. I never realized some had been captured, and tortured by the British, during the Revolutionary War, and I did not know that their families were at risk by their signing.
QUESIONS:
-Why were the so-called “facts”, so minipulated in the original paper?
-Did any Americans try to help the 56 signers during their problems?
-If the Declaration of Independence were to never be written, how would the American society be different, today?
-How did the families of the 56 men, feel about the entire situation?
-Were they aware of all of the consequences that would come with the decision to sign?

What I Learned:
– Five signers were taken as prisoners by the British. Of those five, four were prisoners of war ( George Walton, Thomas Heyward Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge.) Richard Stockton was the only one taken as hostage by the British for being affiliated with the signing of the Declaration of independence.
– Twelve signers had their homes usurped by both British and Americans during the time of war.
-Two sons of Abraham Clark were captured and thrown into prison by the British. John Witherspoon’s eldest son, James, was killed in the Battle of Germantown in 1777.
– Burton Gwinnett died of wounds that he received from a fellow officer during a duel.
– Carter Braxton lost a significant amount of his fortune during the war because his profit came mostly from his ships, which were military targets. However, he later recovered his wealth, but shortly afterwards, he sold most of his money as a result of his own ill-advised business dealings.
– Thomas McKean served as president of Delaware. The British searched for McKean because he was a volunteer leader of the militia.

Found Interesting:
What I found interesting about the entire article was that it contained a section of misleading information. The author of the first section seemed to write the article to serve as propaganda against the British because the information was completely biased and lacked clear facts to support its claims. The main article seemed to serve as a way to show how some people are ignorant because even though they have the facts, they change small aspects to make something seem exceedingly dramatic.

5 Questions:
1. Why did the British dislike the colonist?
2. How did the British find the men who signed the Declaration of independence?
3.Why would the author of the first article write misleading things about what happened to the fifty-six signers?
4.Did the men that signed the Declaration of independence receive a honorable burials?
5.Why were the British interested in dominating the American land when they already had other territories?

What I learned:
Much of the things we learned about the constitution never included these stories and the things we did learn turned out to be fabricated tales to entice us minds. Many of the lives of the 56 men who signed the constitution were mistreated, hurt, and even killed for acting out against Britain. When things got tough they would have taken drastic measures to ensure the safety of themselves, their county, and their families. These men sacrificed themselves to make sure the future of America would be good and we would all have the equal rights we have today. It was pretty odd that John Hart’s story was changed so much, I wasn’t expecting the story to be flipped like that. I also learned a few names I never knew were on the constitution like Ellery, Hall, Clymer, and Rutledge. I’ve never heard of them so reading things about them gives me a better understanding of what happened then.

Interesting:
Like Peter, I think it’s intriguing that the facts changed like they did. While we all knew the lives of the people living them were difficult , but we had no idea much of this was occurring at the time. The article covered things we’ve never went over before and things we would not have know off the top of our heads in our entire lives. Many of the facts presented were changed so thoroughly it was difficult to detect which one was more plausible. The facts were twisted to make them more interesting and more attractive to our imaginations.

Questions:
1. Why were the families of the 56 men who signed the constitution targeted?
2. How were the men even tracked down ?
3. Why did the facts turn out to be twisted stories, why couldn’t they just say what really happened?
4. If the men knew that this would all happen to them after signing it, do you think they still would have done it?
5. In total, how many people were killed because of the signing?

What I learned that many of the men that signed the Declaration of Independence did suffer hardships but not to the extent of the article. For example when they stated that some of the homes of the men were ransacked and burned, you think some the British plotted this against them but it was a common occurrence that the Brits searched your home for supplies and food.
What I found interesting is that the author of the first article manipulated the facts to make the founding fathers seem more like heros, like if what they did wasn’t enough for our country.
Questions:
Why did they misspell the names?
How would modern day America be without the Declaration of Independence?
Why 56 men?
Did any of the 56 men actually have a good life after the signing?
Why did they have to overdramatize the story of the founding fathers?

LEARNED: That facts can be twisted and manipulated by people to twist the truth a little.Also that the men who signed the Declaration of Independence did not see it as much of a privelage because they had committed treason. Some of them had been captured by the British and had risked their family, job, life, and their freedom.
INTERESTING: What i found very interesting was the men who signed the Declaration of Independence all 56 of them. Because i thought it was very misleading of the british to have had captured them and tortured them. Also these men gave of everything by signing this “document”.
QUESTIONS:
1.Why did the british dislike the colonist?
2.Why did the signers go through such a hardship?
3.What happened to the families of the men who signed?
4.How did 9 of the 56 signers die?
5.Did it matter on the amount of signers ?

Learned: In the end, you can not believe everything you read and hear. I have also learned to analyze the facts before. And all through out civilization people will misrepresent the reality of history. In other words, the article “The Price They Paid”, clearly has no historical backround or evidence what so ever. But in the end I have learned that all 56 men risked their lives for freedom. They took a stand when the nation was tired of a ruler thousands of miles away. The men had courage because they pledged their lives and fortunes. Liberty was the truth they believed and they would do anything for it. After all, freedom is not free.

Interesting: What I found interesting was that what actually happend to all the founding father. They struggled so much hardship and in the end it was our freedom. Also, facts can be so easily manipulated. When you scroll down you can see what was true or correct.

1. How many of the founding fathers truly believed in the Declaration of Independence, or just thought it would make their more profitable?
2. How long did it take for the public to figure out what had actually happened?
3. Why were the names of these men misspelled or not really accurate?
4. What events followed for the British after the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
5. How did the britsh feel when they knew they had lost their colonies?

From this reading I learned that 9 of the signers died in war. I also learned that 5 of the signers were captured and tortured and that 12 other signers had their houses burnt down.

What I found interesting was that these men put their lives and their families’ lives in danger just for freedom. That means that it meant everything for them.

1) Was it unjust for these men to be tortured?
2) Was it unjust for the families of these men to be captured as well?
3) Were some of the signers spies for Britain?
4) Why was there only guys signing?
5) How did Britain find out about the Declaration of Independence?

What I learned was that most of the 56 men who signed the declaration of independence, the ones who would make us free, paid a high price these men risk their lives and the lives of their families to achieve freedom for this country . After these men signed the declaration of independence these men suffered in many ways, some of them were robbed captured, killed and others died or were wounded on battle. These men were very educated men and they had goodwill. The suffering also affected the families of the men who signed the declaration of independence, some where killed or captured and some of them ran in order to be safe from the British therefore this affected the men who did this act of freedom.

What i found interesting was found was that these 56 men had good educating and were normal men. However they decided to help the people of their country when they signed the declaration of independence even if that meant to put their lives at risk. These men showed bravery when they did this act of freedom for their country and even to the point of fighting the actual war to make this country free.

Questions:
Did the people of america do something to protect these 56 men?
How did the British react after the declaration of Independence?
How did the British manage to know which people signed the declaration?
Were the relatives of all the 56 men affected?
What made these men willing to signed the declaration of Independence?

What I learned:
-9 of the 56 people that signed the Declaration of Independence died from the hardships of the war.
-5 were captured and killed by the British
-12 of them had no home
-11 were merchants and 9 were farmers that owned big plantations
-24 were lawyers and journalists

What I found interesting from this websites essay was that someone so wealthy like Carter Braxton could such a poor man.what I also found that was interesting was that thomas nelson, jr. told general George Washington to destroy his own house because a british general had taken it over for his headquarters.What I thought was pretty interesting was that the author knew what happand to every single member that signed the Declaration.

Questions:
1.How were the 5 captured?
2. How did the British know were to find the 56 that signed the Declaration of independence?
3. Why did people believe the signing of Declaration of independence would of triggered the Revolutionary War?
4.Did everyone agree with the signing of the Declaration of independence?
5.If the signers knew what would happen to them would they have still signed the Declaration of Independence or have gone aginst it?

What I learned: What I learned is that the men who signed the Declaration of Independence did have some consequences by the action that they did by signing Declaration of Independence, but not that tragic like it said in the article, most of how they died and what happened to them after signing the Declaration of Independence are fabricated tales. For example, five men who signed the Declaration of Independence who were capture supposedly died, but they didn’t die ! Also I thought that the men who signed the Declaration of Independence would have some type of privileges, but they lived a hard life after signing the DOI, they risked their lives, family, land and freedom.

What I found Interesting: Is that the author of the first article, exaggerated and manipulated the facts, like if he was looking for attention, and making this whole deal of the Declaration of Independence a melodrama.

Five Questions:
1. What was the name of the only signer who died from wounds ?
2. What did John Hart really die of ?
3. How long did it take for Francis Lewis’s wife to die ?
4. Were the families supportive of the men who were writting the Declaration of Independence ?
5. How many men died because of the Declaration of Independence ?

What I Learned: I learned that not all things that are said to be true are really true. Sure the essay was right about about the statements it made but the way it was worded made it seem like something else. I also learned that it is very dangerous to be talking about facts but not give all the info on the subject. For if the statements were not explained then one could have thought completely different on the subject.
Found Interesting: I found it interesting that a simple essay on a subject can be so misleading just by the way you can word it.
Questions: Why do we not learn about the founding fathers in more detail?
How do we now what is said about history is true?
How can we be sure what is true?
Why do we need to know about our founding fathers?
What can we still learn from our past?

What I learned: To not aways believe what a source says because it can be fabricated like this source. Also I learned that the signers had to endure many hardships and put their own lives at risk just to bring freedom to the country. Though these men did risk their lives, the consequences for signing the Declaration of Independence were quite fabricated when presented in this source. For instance when it said in the article that twelve had their homes ransacked and looted, it was actually a very common thing going on not only to the signers but to many Americans. Some of the things stated in the article were true for instance five of the signers were captured by the British, the only thing exaggerated about this is that they died whereas in the article it stated they died when they didn’t.

What I found interesting: Is that sometimes articles can state some things that are true but there could be some hidden lies beneath the surface of the article as well. When i read the article “The Price they Paid” I totally believed ever word it said but once I read the bottom that explained each part of the article as true but with fabrication lying in the statement I was shocked. I would have never thought that the article was fabricated if I hadn’t of read the bottom of the page. However i did find it interesting that those fifty-six men had to undergo so much criticism after declaring independence on America,quite a unpleasant outcome I would say. It is like they declared independence but never received it.

Five Questions:
1. Why in the first place were the facts fabricated?
2. Who were the five signers who were captured by the British?
3. Who was the second signer who lost his son?
4. Out of all the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence how many died because of it?
5.How did Carter Braxton die?

Many of the men who pushed for the freedom of our nation by signing the Declaration of Independence risked their lives on many occasions. Some were robbed, others tortured, a few even died, all this for freedom from England. Also, there are many misconceptions out there regarding the stories behind these brave founding fathers.

Interesting:

How incredibly manipulated the facts can be! In the first article the author portrays the facts in such a way to grab at the reader’s emotions causing them to sympathize for the suffering done by the founding fathers. Where as in the second article, the facts are laid out for the reader to draw their own conclusion about the founding fathers’ stories.

5 Questions:

1.) How did Braxton die?
2.) Why doesn’t McKean’s signature appear on the printed copies?
3.) Why was looting a common activity during war time?
4.) Why don’t the articles address the stories and fates of the more famous signers?
5.) What happened to the men who’s homes were subject to seizure?

What I learned: What I learned from the article is that all of the signers put all of there hearts and lives at risk to fight for the freedom of the colonies. The signers were wealthy well educated men who knew what was at risk when they put there signatures on that document. They all gave up there lives to fight for freedom. 5 of the signers were were captured by the British and tortured. 9 of the signers died because of the wounds and hardships of the revolutionary war. Many of the signers homes were raided and taken over by the British. 2 signers had their sons killed during the revolutionary war. These men put their entire world at stake to fight for what they believed in with all there hearts.

What I found interesting: What i found interesting from this article is that they exaggerated the things that happened to the signers. 5 signers were captured but only 1 was captured for signing the declaration and the other 4 were just captured because of the war. The homes of the signers that were raided or taken over was not because they were signers but because it was a common thing that happened because of the war and they were not intentionally taken because the men were signers. The 9 men that were killed were not targeted but were just deaths from the war. The over exaggeration of this events seem interesting as too why they were exaggerated. This was really interesting but also the fact that were the many of the signers were lawyers and jurists. They were not men who were uneducated and actually knew what the consequences of the document.

5 questions:
1. What did the common englishmen think of the declaration of independence and the war?
2. Why is the article over-exaggerated so much what is the purpose?
3. What were the professions of the other 12 signers of the declaration since only 44 of the signers professions are stated?
4. Why does the writer of the article mean by bolding an leaving in all caps not in the statement ” patriotism is NOT a sin”?
5. Why did Adams and Jefferson want to set the record straight of the events of The Revolutionary War?

what i learned: most people who did this assignment didnt read the whole article.
their was 52 men who signed the declaration
some where farmers
not all those men where scholars
what i found interesting: most of the men where not scholars yet they where still very well educated
that theyre where enough people to ransack entire estates
the facts where vastly exaggerated
most of the men where not treated as traitors but as common criminals
Questions
why did the historians allow history to be so exaggerated?
how many did suffer because of the declaration?
what in this article was oversimplified?

What I Learned: I learned that not all the stories that we are told about the founding fathers are true. They altered to stories of their deaths and lives after signing the Declaration to make them seem more interesting. And in doing so they even misspelled many names. And as for all the accounts of people getting tortured, killed or get their property taken away did happen in some cases but in reality wasn’t because they signed the Declaration of Independence. I also learned that John Hart was not forced to leave his dieing wife’s bed side because she had already died by October 8th. In the end the most important thing I learned was that we should never forget those who gave up everything for the cause. And remember both the people that are famous for their actions as well as those who we do not know the name but still gave their lives to the cause.

What I Found Interesting: I found it very interesting how off the topic and how far from the truth the stories were. But also found it funny how they misspelled McKean’s name and many other founding fathers. By far the most interesting thing to me was how far from the truth all the stories are.

5 Questions:
Why did people have the need to change the stories?
Why does McKean’s name have two different ways of spelling it, which one is correct?
How did these men build up the courage to sign knowing the consequences?
Where was John Hart forced to hide?
sWhy were so many names misspelled?

What I Learned: In all honesty I had a very vague idea of what really happened to our founding fathers to begin with. If I had not know any better I would have believed the statements made about the fifty-six delegates and would not question it. Thankfully, as I kept reading I discovered that most of these claims were not true such as ‘Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died’. These five signers were indeed taken prisoner by the British but it is an absolute lie that they died while imprisoned, instead they died while actively serving in the military. I also understood that the Declaration of Independence did not trigger the Revolutionary War but it had actually begun a year before the signing. We had battles such as Lexington and Concord that displayed acts of revolution.

What I Found Interesting: What I found to be truly interesting was how much one can change and add a twist to any story or text to appeal to an audience. For example, the writer had mentioned that a signer had gone away to protect his family but when he returned home, he discovered his wife dead and his 13 children were no where to be found. This is clearly an emotional appeal and there are more examples that relate to the matter to reel readers in and believe what the writer states through emotion. Furthermore I learned not everything you read or hear is going to be entirely true, so beware of what you read and be certain to check if the article contains reliable sources.

Questions:
1. Why do people believe the Declaration of Independence trigger the Revolutionary War?
2. What had changed in both America and Britain after the Declaration had been signed?
3. Did the signers realize the consequences of signing the Declaration, if so what did they believe?
4.Would there have been any conflict or change if the declaration had not been signed?
5.Would France and Spain still be involved in the conflict if the USA was not?

What I learned:
The men who signed the Declaration of Independence had their homes ransacked, burned, they were tortured, and taken prisoners.
Some had normal jobs like lawyers, farmers, plantation owners, and merchants.
They had to keep their families hidden and had to work in congress.

What was interesting:
All the men were well educated and valued their freedom.
They gave their lives to liberty and freedom
Half of the 56 that signed the Declaration of Independence had tragedies happen to them.
The men knew what would happen when they signed it, and still decided to, for their freedom.

5 Questions:
How did the British find out about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Did all of the colonists get punished?
Where did they hide the Declaration of Independence?
What were some of the other stories of the men who signed it?
What was the reaction of the colonies?

What I Learned: After reading about the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and what became of them, I find it incredible how even the simplest of tales and ordinary of deaths have been dramatized and embellished. There has been much fictional dramatization (particularly through the use of strong, emotional word choice) and distortion of the lives and deaths of the founding fathers, all which affect the way we see the American Revolution. It is a little ridiculous how some people overlook basic to crucial facts, and it is especially ridiculous that the majority of the names listed in the article weren’t even spelled correctly. Nowadays everyone grows up to only remember a select few “heroes” from the American Revolution, and our teaching usually emphasizes on only those people and their “courageous, heroic” acts, but in reality it wasn’t just a handful of people who were a part of the American Revolution. That is why I whole-heartedly agree with the statement the article ends on, which says, “The hardships and losses endured by many Americans during the struggle for independence were not visited upon the signers alone, nor were they any less ruinous for having befallen people whose names are not immortalized on a piece of parchment.”

What I Found Interesting: I found the part in the article where it mentions how a common misconception is the signing of the Declaration of Independence being the event that triggered the Revolutionary War, when in fact the war itself had begun more than a year before the signing of the document. It’s also incredible how obvious the truths of some of the misconceptions are. For example, the one I found interesting was how the Nelson house was believed to be completely destroyed when in fact it still stands to this day as a part of Colonial National Historical Park. The people who go around advocating these kinds of dramatizations must be really careless to overlook such blunt and available facts.

Questions:
-How did the British find and capture five of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
-Why were those five captured and not other more prominent figures?
-When did the dramatization of the founders’ lives begin?
-Are there any other existing documents that thoroughly document one of the signer’s life during the Revolution?
-How were these men chosen to sign the document, instead of other commoners?
-How many people were directly affected because they put their name down on the Declaration of Independence?

what i learned:
24 men were lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and 9 were farmers and large plantation owners
All 56 men were well educated and valued liberty more
12 had their house ransacked and burned
5 signers were tortured before they died
9 of the 56 fought and died from hardships but 1 from wounds of the revolutionary war
Found Interesting:
By signing the Declaration of Independence they knew the penalty would be death if captured
Carter Braxton a wealthy planter and trader, sold his home and properties to pay his debts
Some had to have their families in hiding or constantly moving to different places
John Hart suffered a tragedy,his fields and gristmill were left to waste. He later found his wife dead and his 13 children vanished
Most of the men became prisoners
5 questions:
Did all the 56 men loose their families?
How many men were exactly captuered or became prisoners?
Did the men with families know already that their lives were coming to an end, if so why did they sign?
How did the british find all 56 men or most of them?
Why did only 56 men sign the Declaration of Independence?

Learned:
The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence lives were exaggerated in this article. They did live a hard life, but the article made it seem as though they were brutally punished and taken away from their sick wives simply because they signed.When in reality the British were treating them the same as they would treat any other prisoner. It is unfair that they were captured and thrown in jail for what they believed in. However, the men who signed knew they were taking a risk for themselves and there families. Knowing they would have to pay the price, which wasn’t excruciating torment but time in a lonely jail cell.

Interesting:
How people can stretch the truth and twist words around causing people to have sympathy for the 56 signers. Not only this but they made the British seem like the bad guys who were just doing their job.

5 questions:
-Why did Britain put them in jail?
-How long did it take them to realize that the facts werent all true?
-Why did they sate the facts ?
-What else could have been going on that we did not know about?
-Why did the British even bother finding the signers and capturing them ?

Learned: What I learned was that a lot of these stories of what happened usually target the British as the bad guys or the reason for what bad things had happened. This is natural because in America at the time they were the antagonist, however this does not mean that they were the source of most of the hardships that most people believe they had inflicted on the founding fathers. According to the article, the British burned and ransacked most of the property or land of the rebellious colonists not just the founding fathers as it was assumed, however the founding fathers received the same treatment as the average rebel.

Found Interesting: I found it interesting that most of these stories had been misleading just like the average rumor. At first they seem viable and very likely, but on further inspection one will find that most are exaggerated like the common rumor, so as you can see if you read the article, most of the stories have a small iota of truth to them but not enough for them to be considered true although many hardships were face by the founding fathers.

Questions:
1. Why do people have to make such rumors out of these sorts of things?
2. Although many hardships made themselves present to the founding fathers which were the worst?
3. Why do people only seem to remember a handful of those who signed the declaration?
4. What was the major turning point in the revolution?
5. How were we able to beat the odds and become our own country?

What I learned:
It is said that the men who signed the Declaration of Independence suffered very dramatic and sad, lonely deaths. Where, in fact, their deaths weren’t that horrible. A lot of the things stated in this article, or e-mail, are not false but they are incredibly, overly, and unnecessarily stretched. For instance, It is said that the reason for the American Revolution was the signing of the declaration, but that’s false. It’s false because the war was actually going on one year prior to the signing. The author states that 9 of the 56 men died at war. They died during the time of the war, but not due to wounds from British soldiers. In fact, only 1 of the 9, Button Gwinnett, died by wounds and it was from his own fellow officer that he had a duel with. Apparantly, 5 of the men were imprisoned for signing the Declaration, but that’s not true. Only 1 of the 5 were actually imprisoned for affiliating with the signing and that was Richard Stockton. The others were prisoners of war. The stretching goes on!!!

Interesting:
An event from a time that is not the same as ours (specifically the past), that we did not live, and that we have not put the time in ourselves to get information for, can be told to us as a complete lie. It can be written in our history books at school and be preached by our teachers as complete truth. Until we finds the true records from that time and the actual facts, it will remain true for us listeners for possibly many generations. That is what I find interesting.

Questions:
1. Why was Richard Stockton the only one imprisoned for affiliating with the Declaration of Independence?
2. Did the man that duelled Button Gwinnett and killed him get imprisoned?
3. Were there laws on how to treat prisoners of war like there are now?
4. What are the author’s (The Price They Paid) sources for information?
5. Who actually fought in the American Revolution?

Learned: I learned that 56 people signed the Declaration of Independence. I thought it was only like 5 guys. Some men went through hell just to fight for freedom for their people and the people of today.
Interesting: Not all men that signed the Dec. of Ind. were not scholars. Some were farmers but had some education. The way the author of the article describes what happen to some of the men sound very exaggerated.
Questions:
1. Why didn’t they try to hide from the British people and try to survive?
2. How come the British wanted those people dead so badly?
3.How were these 56 men chosen?
4.What would of happened of the Dec. wasn’t signed?
5.Why doesn’t the article explain what happened to all 56 men?

it is proven to be false that most of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence had a miserable life because they supported and signed this document. Men like Thomas Nelson, Thomas McKean, Carter Braxton, Francis Lewis, John Hart, and many others might have lost valuable possessions and even loved ones, but not because they signed the Declaration of Independence, but mainly because those unfortunate loses were brought with the revolution not because the British wanted to specially hurt them because they signed the declaration of independence because all Americans and rebels were at risk of being attacked.
Most of the information given about what happened to the 56 signers of the declaration of independence was inaccurate, misleading, or false. The people who signed the declaration of independence were not targeted for vengeance. The statement that “five signers captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died,” was false, only one men out of the five was captured as a traitor, the other four were captured fighting at war, not as traitor and later were freed, they were not killed. Braxton a signer of the Declaration of Independence thought it was to risky to declare independence because he thought America was not ready to protect it self, his ships were not captured because he was a signer, he was not targeted. John Hart did not die after finding his wife dead, Lewis Morris’s possessions were not taken away by the British army, but by the Continental army and restored his home with his wife after the war.
The signers of the declaration of independence did have a huge risk of being targeted as traitors and therefore could have been avenged by the British, but this article proved it incorrect.

What I found Interesting:

-Even though some men were at risk to loose extremely precious belongings or loved ones, they would not resign from what they believed and supported the Declaration of independence

-It is interesting how people accommodate the truth to their convenience .

-The revolutionary war actually started a year before the signing of the declaration of independence.

Five Questions:
1. When was the declaration of independence signed, who were all the 56 signers?

2. Is it true the revolutionary war started a year before the declaration of independence was signed?

3. Did any of the the 56 signers have a more peaceful result from the Declaration of Independence?

4. Who were some actual men who were negatively affected because they signed their names in the declaration of independence?

what i learned: I learned from the article is that all of the signers put all of there hearts and lives at risk to fight for the freedom of the colonies. Many of the lives of the 56 men who signed the constitution were mistreated, hurt, and even killed for acting out against Britain. 24 of the men were lawyers and jurist and 12 had thier houses burnt down.

what is interesting: What I found to be truly interesting was how much one can change and add a twist to any story or text to appeal to an audience. Also that they believed so strongly in the freedom that they felt they deserved, that they signed it knowing that if they got caught, they could be thrown in jail or even killed for treason.

5 questions:
How did the British find and capture five of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
How long did it take for the public to figure out what had actually happened?
why was john driven away from his wife that was dying?
Did George Washington think neither of the men would suffer because of the signing?
Were they aware of all of the consequences that would come with the decision to sign?

What I learned: When I think of our founding fathers, I think of them as wealthy, stably employed, well educated and optimistic. So much for that, their stories where quite depressing. To my surprise 5 signers were captured by the Brits, two of the signers lost their sons in the Revolutionary War and two others were captured as well. Some of them were lawyers and jurists, others were merchants. Signers had their properties destroyed. I always thought they were safe.

What I found interesting: I was shocked that the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence were sort of sworn to secrecy and if they opened their mouths the result would of been death. On the other hand some of them were merchants, farmers, and large plantation owners. That gives us an example of anyone could be a part of history, with the exception of their employment stand point. Some of them were forced to move, Thomas Mckeam , for example, did not have to pay, and his family was always kept in hiding. The “aww” part of this article was John Hart’s deathbed. He was moved to another place and everything he has worked for was turn into waste.

Five questions:
1. How did the British held captive only five of the 56?
2. Where those 5 held captive significant figures at the time?
3. Did our founding fathers knew the consequences of signing the Declaration of Independence?
4. Why do historians over exaggerate?
5. What did the author meant by bolding and leaving in all caps not in the statement ” patriotism is NOT a sin”?

Learned: 56 names where signed on the Declaration of Independence, but main 56 names of men that were killed, tortured, prosecuted, and scarred for their lives; Not only that but everything they had was taken from them or burned to the ground.
– 24 of the men were lawyers and jurists
-11 merchants
– and more, all true men, who never deserved a horrible death.

Interesting: -Those 56 men were innocent, independent, hard-working men, who lives were taken because they stood up for something truly believed in, Independence for their people of America.
– To save the life that were so dear and close the theirs, they were forced to move and hide away from the British.
-Hart, Norris, and Livingston had a similar story of losing their wife, their children, and hiding in caves/forests for years, and once they returned home, nothing/no one was to be found.

Questions:
1. How would our lives be now if more people were to have the characteristics of those 56 men?
2. If the men already know their fate, the British wanting them died, did some of the men take the easy way out (suicide)?
3. Why were other innocent people (family members) killed, tortured, or persecuted by the British?
4. Did George Washington ever suspect that that mean lives would be lost?
5. Why is the Declaration of Independence a major key factor (back then), would those factors still be true now in the present?

What I learned: As I read the article relating to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independece I noticed it was split into two parts; the first part consisted of pretty basic conspiracies which more than likely came about after numerous amount of people twisted the actual stories for them to appear appealing to others, the second part subsisted of the corrections made to the provided quotes at the beginning. Plentiful of the lives lived by the men who signed the document were only distinct to that of an average citizen because of the wealth by which they were consumed. All of the men involved in signing were in some form directly associated with matters of assisting in the war or being affected by factors the war. The men entailed in the document were all aware of the risks they were instantly engaged in upon signing the Declaration of Independence and for that they were some of the most courageous men, along with many others who who are not mentioned, all played major roles in the freeing of America.

What I found interesting: I was surprised to learn that the men who signed ranged from being lawyers and jurists, to merchants, and farmers, and large plantation owners. I was perplexed to find out how the stories of men who assisted in our initial independence were not enough for some to be left alone with, they were not citizens whose lives need to be exagerated because what they did for us is extravagant enough. Furthermore, I was also astonished by how the names were mispelled. All in all, the lives that these men lead were all interesting in their own ways from marrying an heiress, to loosing naval business, to homes being taken and bombarded, to lives being flipped upside down.

Question I had:
1. How could the names possibly be mispelled?
2. Why would anyone want to change the lives of these heroic men?
3. Who were the rest of the fifty-six men who signed?
4. When was the first time the British found out about the Declaration of Independence?
5. Where the families of the men signing the document supportive of them?

What I learned: Reading this article, I realized that stories portrayed simply seem like an attempt to get someones attention. They were obviously dramatized and are simply disturbing that people would actually believe such lies. However, reading the section below, I learned that many delegates suffered the misfortune of being in the way of war. War is unavoidable, no matter how you see it.

What I found interesting: For one, I found the fact that some of the delegates were not “targeted” because they were signers of the Declaration of Independence, but were victims of misfortune. I also found very interesting that some of the name mentioned first were actually misspelled and their “fates” were dramatized. For example, it stated that John Hart died of exhaustion and a broken heart, when actually, he died of kidney stones.

Questions:
1. How were the delegates picked?
2. Why wasn’t Georgia represented?
3. Why weren’t the delegates treated with more respect?
4. Who and why did they write the first article.
5. What was the real story behind Thomas Nelson?

What I learned: From this article, I learned that all of the signers risked their lives to fight for the freedom of the colonies. It exaggerated things and made it seem like if the people that signed were treated extremely brutal when in reality they were treated just like any other prisoner would have been treated.

What I found interesting: I found interesting that only 5 of all the 56 that signed were captured by the British and that 9 of them passed away, but were not killed due to violence.

Questions:
1) How many men died in result of the Declaration of Independence?
2) Why did the British only capture 5 of the signers?
3) Why doesn’t the article mention what happened to all the other 56 men?
4) How did Braxton die?
5) If nobody had signed the Declaration of Independence, what would have happened? Who would it have affected and why?

Learned: By reading “The Price They Paid” I gained a greater understanding of what the 56 men did for their freedom and the freedom of other’s. You would think that many of these men would be improtant bussinessmen of some kind, which there were but there were also merchants and farmers. When they sigh the Declaration of Independence, they pleged their lives, fortunes and thier honor to a cause they were determined to win.
Interesting: I was quite fasinated by all they gave up, and lost durning the revolution. They lost family members, property, and some even their lives. Thomas Nelson Jr. had his home turned into the headquarters of General Cornwallis, he then informed Washington to open fire, Nelson lost his home and died bankrupt. They had security but valued liberty more was something that would make you think, would you do what they did for us.
Questions: How would our country’s people act if we had those men’s characteristics?
Were there any men who didn’t benifit by signing the Declaration of Independence?
How did the British feel before the Declaration and after the Declaration?
How did the Americans who were loyal to the king react to the revolution?
If we were in the same situation, would there be 56 men or women willing to sacrafice their lives for others?

What I learned: Today I read the article The Price They Paid and I learned that out of the 56 men who signed the Decleration, 24 were lawyers and jurists. As well as 9 of the signers weren’t harmed by the British because only 1 of the actually participated in the war. I also learned that there are two sides (or more) as to what really happened so its hard to understand what happened.

What I found interesting: is that they had to go in depth with what really happened, I was so confused when having to go read it. I was glad to know that those men weren’t actually tortured and killed by the British. I found it interesting as well that a lot of the men that signed did not participate in the war.

Questions: Why did men who didn’t participate in the war sign the Declaration?

Who was the man that came up with the Decleration?

Why did they come up with this different story of what happened?

How did they decide who would sign ?

Was there disagreement as to what they should write on the decleration? If so what were they?

Learned:
– 5 signers were captured and tortured before they died
– 9 of the 56 signers dies during the Revolutionary war or after it.
– There were 56 signers.
– They knew that by signing this, they might end up dead if captured.
– John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside while she was dying & their 13 children ran for their lives.

Interesting:
– 12 of the signers had their homes burned to the ground.
– 24 of these men were lawyers or jurists.
– 11 were merchants.
– 9 were large plantation owners.
– They pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

5 Questions:
– What motivated these men to sign the Declaration of Independence if they knew they were putting themselves and their families in danger?
– Why were there exactly 56 signers?
– How were the five captured signers captured?
– When was the Declaration of Independence written?
– How many of the signers had their sons captured?
– how many kids did John Hart have?

What I Learned: Quite frankly I had a vague idea of what really happened to our founding fathers before reading this article. The rumors made about the 56 delegates were so gullible in my perspective. As I continued reading , I figured that the statements were indeed false ‘Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died’.These five signers were actually taken prisoner by the British but it is an absolute lie that they died while imprisoned, instead they died while serving in the military. 24 of the men were lawyers and jurists,11 merchants and more, all true men, who never deserved a horrible death.These men all pledged thier honor and signed their wealth away for our country.
Interesting: I was intrigued with the astonishing lies the media will produce to deceive the public.Since they exaggerated that the founding fathers all died as heroes when in reality they didn’t, so how are we sure to know that all history is just a myth? However, it might have been that the reason for the exaggeration was to inspire the public to take a stand for their beliefs.
Questions:
1. How did the British find and capture five of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
2. Who created the false facts at the beginning of the article ?
3. What changed in America and Britain after the declaration was signed ?
4. Did the signers of the declaration , truly acknowledge the consequences of participating ?
5.Why did Adams and Jefferson want to set the record straight of the events of The Revolutionary War?

What I Learned : The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence weren’t rewarded for what they did. Instead they were treated horribly. Some being captured while others lost their homes and loved ones. Living in the times of the American Revolution wasn’t easy and they put themselves in some of the hardest positions. They risked everything they had to try to earn freedom from the British. In return they were tortured and harassed by the British.

Found Interesting : How dedicated these men were to know that if they signed the Declaration they would face major consequences and they still did it. And how far the British would go to get rid of them.

5 questions :
1. Did anyone help those 56 men for being brave against the British?
2. Why were the British so threatened by the Declaration?
3. Why isn’t this information kept from people?
4. Did anyone regret signing the Declaration?
5. How long after the Declaration was made and signed did the British find out and plan to do something about it?

What you learned:
I learn that 5 signers were captured abd tortured by the British because they thought they were traitors. That they other 9 out of 56 went to fight the Revolutionary Army and died in action. One of the man that signed the Declaration was name Carter Braxton of Virginia was a wealthy planter and trader. Thomas Mckeam was hounded by the British and had to move his family everytime to safety. Also 12 out of 56 had their homes ransacked and burned by the British. I also learn that 2 of the man saw their sons died in war.
Found Interesting:
Something i found interesting was that the people that signed the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor. That they four out of the five men who were captured were not killed when they were prisioners. That Francis Lewis had his home and belongings destroyed and they ememy had captured his wife and died within a few months.
5 questions:
1. Hey how did the British captured the 5 signers who they thought were traitors?
2. What were the reasons why Carter Braxton and Thomas Mckeam signed the Declaration of Independence.
3. What were the political differences between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?
4. What did the Americans do the British after they kill the people who sign the Declaration of Independence.
5. Did the each father who saw their sons died in war by the British wanted revenge of some kind?

Learned: • Majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence that did die during the Revolutionary War, died for different reasons.
• The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a year after the Revolutionary War.
• Out of the 56 “signatories” only 1 died from wounds in the war.
• Only 1 of the signers was considered a traitor and taken prisoner.
• None of the prisoners that were signers were not tortured but there for war crimes.

Interesting: -The amount of people who dies during the revolutionary war but not from the Declaration of Independence.
– How the writers of the article knew where to start to find this information to “clear up” the fiction of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

5 Questions: 1) Why did people automatically conclude that the 56 men who signed the Declaration that died during that time was for signing the Declaration?
2) If no one were to sign the Declaration of Independence would we somehow still have independence from other revolutionaries that stood up?
3) If prisoners were not tortured how did they treat wartime prisoners?
4) Why had Richard Stockton been the only one taken prisoner for signing?
5) If the Declaration of Independence have never been written would some one have came up with a similar idea of some sort for freedom/Independence?

What I learned from the article “The Price They Paid” is not to believe everything related to history. I also learned that the risk the founding fathers took can be compared to the risk that all the patriots took. I also learned that some of the signers didn’t even take part in the war.
I found many things interesting in this article. One of these things is that the British found that only one man was relevent enough to be charged with treason. Also that the signers’ lives were not completely destroyed by their inolvement with the declaration of independence. I also thought that the exaggerators themselves were interesting to be able to stretch such truths. Also its interesting that congressmen were so ‘ how do I say this.. “Whatever..or …”unimportant”.. they were seen as normal people perhaps…idk’
I loved this article because it’s exposing the true history because lets face it most history isn’t all that glamorous. I loved that some of the signers were captured because they took action to back up their words by becoming leaders of the revolution.
Question time:
1.Why were Congressmen ungaurded?
2.Did Congressmen really not get paid and why?
3. What did Philip Livingston suddenly die from?
4. What factors could be the reason for such inaccuracy and unknown holes in stories during the Revolutionary War?
5. What could be the reason that only one man was singled out for his signature and why did the British take the signatures so lightly?
6.could the signatures or even the declaration itself emotionally wounded some Britsh officials who truelly thought of the colonies as younger siblings also could the Americans be seen as nothing more but a group of selfish brats?
Ps sorry its 4 mins late

What I learned:
Well quite disappointed, on the fact that what I thought would be the greatest stories of sacrifice and success, turned to be a spiked up novel. While half of the facts are true, I heavily dislike how people have added that factor of romance to it. Althought I may like the spiked up version, I firmly belive that History, are facts left behind to recall and learn from previous events, and such facts should go unaltered for History is not a novel. The facts that I can remember as true from this article is that indeed our founding fathers did risk the possibility of being hanged, for the cause they held dearly. Also another thing I learned is that those 56 signatures not only represent the man who signed it(obviously) but the unamed, the lifes lost for that common goal, of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.

Intresting:
I found intresting, how this facts, although some what accurate, are tinted with a factor of romance that adds false information, just to make it a fitting ending.

5 Questions:
-What where the political diffrences between John Adams & Thomas Jefferson?
-Did this 56 signers have a specific price on there heads by the british?
– Why, knowing this is history not a novel, people fabricate inaccurate stories of our founding fathers?
-To what extend did the founding fathers think they would suffer?
-Did the families of the signers, feel they would be targeted primarly?

Learned: I learned that the 56 men that signed the Declaration of independence were at high risks. They were hated by many and had many people that did not support. Their acting against Britain had many consequences and were willing to fight for their colonies.

Interesting: I found it interesting that the 56 men had suffered and lost many things of value to them to fight for their society. The people around them had not supported their decision nut yet gained something from. These men were courageous enough.

Questions:
1. What benefits did these men have for signing?
2. Were the families of the 56 men supportive and how did they react to the societies’ hatred ?
3. Who was Thomas McKean ?
4. Why did the men’s families suffer for the actions ?
5. Were all the facts in this article false ?

What I learned:
-The signers of the Declaration met horrid fates. (some)
-Not only that, but their families were also persecuted by the Brits.
-Homes of 12 signers were ransacked and burned down (although it was inadvertently)
-Only 1 of the signers was considered a traitor
-Information can be greatly misinterpreted
-Signers took a huge risk in being a part of this
– Five signers were taken prisoner by the British but they didn’t died while imprisoned (they died while serving in the military)
-some of these are true but only to a point, sometimes just sounds like a coincidence of their misfortunes

What I found interesting:
-To be a signer of the declaration was treason.
-We were British subjects in the Revolutionary war
-Only 24 of the signers were lawyers or jurists
-they didn’t say what was the profession of 12 of the signers were
-Many facts were exaggerated
-Button Gwinnet died from wounds from a fellow officer he dueled.

5 questions:
-Were all 56 men necessary to sign the Declaration?
-When were the British informed of the Declaration?
-Did any of them know what was going to happen to them once they signed?
-Why did they put the information above if they counter the reason later in the article? Is it necessary?
-Why do they put in misleading facts for?

Learned:
-There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence
-They knew that if they were captured they would be put to death
-9 of the 56 died from wounds gained in the Revolutionary War
-24 of the 56 were lawyers and jurists
-12 of the 56 had their homes ransacked and burned

Interesting:
-At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters
-He urged Gearge Washington to open fire, the home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt
-Cater Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debt
-Vandals looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton
-For more than a year John Hart lived in forest and caves after his fields and his gristmill were left to waste

5 Questions
-What happened to the rest of the 56 signers?
-What would our lives be like now if the Declaration of Independence were never signed?
-Did any of them try to hide from the British after they signed?
-Did the signing of the Declaration of Independence actually cause the Revolutionary War?
-How were the delegates picked?

What I learned: Although the signers of the Declaration were captured, it wasn’t for signing it. When prisoners were caught, they were treated the same as those that signed the declaration of independence. There was no evidence showing that the signers of the declaration were treated worse than those that didn’t sign it. Richard Stockton was the only signer that was taken as a prisioner because if his signature on the declaration and imprisoned like a common criminal. It was a time of war so it was common for people’s houses’ to be burned. If you were lucky, your items and your house itself wouldn’t be touched.

What I found interesting: False statements were being made about what had happened to all 56 signers, and the truth finally came out. People said that the signers were treated worst than those that didn’t sign it, but that wasn’t true. There’s no physical evidence proving that statement.

Questions:
1. Why were false statements made?
2. Did the signers feel as if they were being tracked down personally?
3. Why did 56 people need to sign the declaration?
4. When the signers had their belongings taken and their house burnt down, did they take it personal?
5. If they could go back, would they still sign the declaration?

Learned: I learned that the 56 signers put their lives at risk by signing the Declaration. I also learned the true fate of the signers. For example, it is said that “9 of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. However, in reality nine of the singers died during the course of the war, but did not die from either hardships or wounds that were caused by the opponent, the British. The 56 signers did have many hardships, which the article proves, that much is true.

Interesting: I found it interesting that the story of their fates were highly manipulated to sound better. Although most of it is true, the signers’ fates have been exaggerated and twisted. Quite often, the writers made it sound as if the signers had terrible lives because they signed the Declaration. This article proved that you cannot always believe what you hear. Many things, especially when it comes to today’s media, are manipulated severely and only tell you what the writers think you want to hear in order to have a better story. Even the slightest thing can be, and quite often is, blown out of proportion completely.

Questions:
1. Is a false story that is more eventful a “better story”? Or is a true story better?
2.Did any of them anticipate what would happen to them if they signed?
3. If media is truly manipulated, how do we know that the article itself wasn’t manipulated to appeal to the audience?
4. If you were alive during that time, and you had the chance to sign the Declaration of Independence, would you sign? Even if you knew the consequences?
5. How greatly did the singing of the Declaration affect the lives of British citizens? Were they severe enough cause to torture the signers?

What I learned:
As said in the article, I learned that there wasn’t any hard based facts on what happened to the Founding Fathers; mostly just fiction. Four signers from South Carolina were held captive, but they were all later released. The four signers were said to be treated differently then other criminals in the jail, they were never tortured. Unlike a signer from New Jersey whom was treated as a common criminal, was said to be forever held in the jail by the British.
Twelve of the fifty-six signers had their homes attacked upon by the British. But, the article states it was normal during warfare if the house was on the path of the warfare.
Two of the signers saw their sons killed by the British during the war.
Nine of the signers died during the war, but it is said the deaths were not caused by warfare; but by later deaths. One of the nine did die of wounds due to a duel in 1777.
A particular man, Carter Braxton, saw the British Navy destroy his ships. But, his ships would have been attacked either way. He was not necessarily attacked by the British because he signed the Declaration; he also did not die in rags.
Thomas McKean was propably being tracked down by the British, making his family and himself relocate many times. He joined the Congress, but he died not in poverty, but in many riches.
The signers were not being attacked on their properties on purpose by soldiers. The soldiers would find a house and take their necessities for the war. The soldiers did not attack their properties because the signers signed the Declaration.
General Cornwallis’ decision and order of bombing his own house is still a myth to this day.
Francis Lewis did have his house raided by the British due to his signing of the Declaration, his wife also did become prisoner of the British. She was exchanged with the British officer’s wives but she died due to her illness, which she already had before she was captured.
John Hart was not driven by the British as his wife was dying. His home did get raided by the British and he did go into hiding; but, his wife had already died and his children had already left the house. He also did not die later, he became a Congressman and so much more.

Interesting:
What I found interesting about this article was that there are so many myths and fictional stories of events in the history back then. It gets me thinking if all we learn about is all just fiction. How do we know that what we get taught by our history teachers really did occur and it wasn’t just some overly exaggerated story told by man.

Questions:
1. How do we know that the myths really aren’t true?
2. How were these myths proven to be unrealistic?
3. What happened to the rest of the fifty-six signers?
4. How would the British track down the signers, there were so many?
5. What good did the British gain by tracking down the signers?

What I learned: These men didn’t have famous backgrounds; all weren’t weathly and rich. They were well-educated farmers (9), merchants (11), and lawyers (24) who believed in freedom and wanted it for their generation and those ahead. Many of them suffered horribly fates, some at the hands at the British and others not. 5 were tortured by the enemy before they died, a couple losing their homes and families; buried in debt before they passed on. The founding fathers lost their lives to give us our freedom today, thus celebrating July 4th (but also the solilders who fight for our country.) We owe them our respects. “Freedom is never free!”

What I found Interesting: Is how people would use fictional stories instead of the truth. What’s to gain from telling lies about our founding fathers; they were normal people too, they didn’t need to have some amazing background to fit the wonderful thing they did. They were men of merchants, lawyers, and farmers who came together to speak what people did not have the courage to say. And despite all the pain and suffering they endured, knowing death was their ultimate punishment, they still signed the Consitiution, giving us our rights today!

Questions:
1. Knowing the penalty of their actions, did any of them second guess their decision?
2. Were the 56 signers intentional targets?
3. Could some have suffered a much worser fate then they did?
4. Did all of these men have the same ideas?
5. Whose idea was it to create the Declaration of Independence?

LEARNED:
-56 men signed the declaration.
-five of the signers were captured by the british
-12 had their homes ruined
-2 lost their sons
-9/56 fought and died

INTERESTING:
-24 were laywers and some jurists
-11 were merchants
-9 were farmers and large plantation owners
-ALL were very well educated

QUESTIONS:
1-Why did John Hart die soon after his wife died?
2-How were the fivesigners totured?
3-Why were some of the men who signed this important document famous and some werent?
4-Did they find the killers?
5-How were people punished back then?

What I learned:
Men lived in consequences if they were surrounded by the British. All of the men lost important relatives during the Revolutionary War. Nearly all men were not wealthy. The men were very well educated. Men in different backgrounds served the in the Revolutionary War such as farmers, lawyers, and merchants. All men were part of the Declaration of Independence. All men had hope and desire for their country. All men knew they would fight eventually losing their lives. They all knew fighting for freedom is well worth dying for. That is why the day and month of 4th of July is celebrated. America won.

What I found Interesting:
There were many facts that were eventually exaggerated. Being part of the Declaration of Independence such as being a signer was considered treason. It is very interesting how the men were very well educated that they even did not care on how their intelligence would reach, they cared about their country the most. There were so many false stories that was talked about. Many did not want to bother tell the truth. I wonder why.

Five questions:
– How much would it cost to tell people the reality?
– Explain to me on how the people started to notice the Myths?
– Why did the men needed to sign the Declaration of Independence?
– What happened to the rest of the 56 men?
– Compare and contrast the British men and the American men?

What I mainly learned from this article is that “freedom is never free”. Many men risked so much they put their families on the line and especially their own lives at risk for the sake of their country’s freedom. I say that the passion they had for this country was strong and nothing could stand in the way with that. The declaration was made to persuade the British government but it brought more tyrant and war out of them that shocked history.
1. Why were some of these signers famous?
2. Did the declaration have a positive or negative effect in the war ?
3. How old we’re these men averagely ?
4. Why didn’t any woman sign ?

What I learned found interesting was how cruel the British were. It’s not enough that they wanted to steal righteous land, but they torture and kill for so called “treason”. It bothers me however, it impresses me how determined the colonists were to make America happen.
5. Why was the felony treason if they say they say the consists aren’t of England ?